Aspirant

My wife and I are doing a few weeks in India in October and have set aside 3 nights in Kerala. First of all, are we crazy for visiting the area in October? Secondly, does anyone have any hotel recommendations? We're in the $300/night and less range. We'll be headed to the Maldives after this so beaches aren't super important. We're primarily interested in the tea plantations in the hills and the riverlands. Any advice would be extremely appreciated.

Keyser

where are you going in kerela????

i've stayed at the taj vivanta & leela in kovalam....both excellent properties....

also stayed at the le méridien in kochi, which used to be a really nice property but is now showing its age....

Aspirant

Thanks for the tips. We really want to lean on the collective experience here to help us decide where to go. Our only parameters are that we would like to be somewhere visually interesting as my wife enjoys photography.

Keyser

then you can't go wrong with either the leela or the taj in kovalam....

mstraveler

We are also going in October (so I hope you are not crazy!). Have heard Coconut Lagoon is very good. Not sure about price.

We were going to go there, and would still like to, but are opting for this Ayurvedic Health Resort south of this to rest up after 2 weeks in the north.

WanderingPhD

Stayed at the Coconut Lagoon a couple of years ago and they were very good. The staff was courteous and friendly, food was excellent, very spacious and, just a general feeling of calmness. They upgraded us to the pool villa which is very nice and is set apart from the other areas. We were there in August and the weather was great (perfect with the breeze across the backwaters). October in Kerala is just getting to the start of the tourist season. The weather is not as pleasant as in Dec or Jan but the monsoons should be over and the temperatures should be better than March-July.

There are only a few things to do on the resort itself like yoga classes in the morning, a few small guided tours - birds, flowers etc, and sunset boat cruise. I liked it mainly for the calmness and tranquility.

WanderingPhD

If beaches aren't important, I'd second Keyser's suggestion of Coconut Lagoon. It's still a water view but of the backwaters rather than the ocean. I had a great time a couple of years ago. The drawback is that there isn't much to do there since you are on an island (and even if you take the boat to the mainland there isn't much you can do around there). The views however are really good and my wife who is a shutterbug as well took some great pictures while we there.

Aspirant

Thanks for all of the tips. I've put in a request for a quote to Coconut Lagoon. Would you guys say 2 nights is a good amount followed up by maybe a night in Kochin?

WanderingPhD

2 nights sounds good. I hope you have a wonderful time in Kerala. I'm from Kochi originally but I live in the US now.

BTW, just a heads up that the city is either Cochin (old version) or Kochi (new).

Aspirant

Thanks for the heads up. I'll make sure to get that right.

The Coconut Lagoon is a little out of our budget but does look like a phenomenal place.

WanderingPhD

Bummer. I went back looked at my emails from my trip and the cheaper option I considered was a place called Backwater Ripples. The Garden View room (Single / Double Rm) was Rs. 4400 with included breakfast.

Of course, these are prices from a couple of years ago and inflation is high in India. Not to mention seasonal differences. I remember that the place looked good online. However, I have not stayed there so I can't speak for the experience. Also, only breakfast is included.

Teresita

I can recommend the Old Harbour Hotel in Kochi---stayed in a lovely superior room with a view of the garden The hotel is across from the Chinese fishing nets. The restaurant is great---nice boutique experience. There is an Anoki store and also FabIndia within walking distance.

fripperies

Fort Cochin is historic and characterful. Small but interesting place to explore at leisure. I have stayed at both Malabar House and Taj Malabar (now called Vivanta I believe). Malabar House is lovely, with the feel of a small heritage hotel. I had a large room furnished with antiques and a private verandah looking over greenery towards the old Portuguese church. Vivanta is a more modern luxury resort-style hotel. This hotel is in a fairly non-descript location in Cochin across the water from the old Fort but there are rooms with views of the waterway and the hotel has (or had - this was 4 or 5 yrs ago) a speedboat that is fun to take over to Fort Cochin. I recommend both hotels but they are different in style - one is a boutique hotel, the other more a resort - and location. Malabar House is the best location if you want to stay in Fort Cochin itself. If you don't mind sacrificing character for more facilities like a spa and a choice of restaurants, Vivanta might be a better choice.

MilesAndMore

A numberbod choices now, I second the taj hotels. Vivanta IMHO has the best restaurants and views to boot. Small cosy and nice . The other taj property on Marine drive ia much better located but the rooms are a bit underwhelming.

For a quieter experience consider the le meridien, a bit far off from the centre of town but rooms are better. They are renovating thw hotel currently too.

mvarghese84

OP mentioned tea plantations...just fyi any plantations will be 2-3 hours away from Kochi in the mountainous part of Kerala. There are miles upon miles of tea plantations just east of Vagamon (about 2.5 hours from Kochi).